Bet On It
by SarahSmile26
Summary: My entries for the Twilight Twenty-Five. Twenty-five picture prompts. Three months. Flashes. 300-500 words. Let's do this.
1. Sitting on a Bed

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Just my words.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt:** #13  
**Pen Name:** SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s):** Bella/Edward  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 496 (I cut it close, lol)

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

She sits on their bed, alternately biting her bottom lip and nibbling on her nails. She doesn't want him to go, to leave her alone for however many months he'll be gone, but she knows that he doesn't have a choice in the matter. She knows how much he loves being a soldier, anyway, and she loves that he loves it.

It's just hard watching him pack sometimes.

Meanwhile, as he's packing, he can't help but think if this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. He wonders if this will be the leave that makes her leave, too. They've only known each other for a few short hours before they eloped at the courthouse, certain that they were each others' soul mates. And while this is his second leave since they've been married, and she seems to be relatively happy, he can't help but wonder sometimes.

Were they wrong to get married so quickly? Should they have gone the traditional route and dated for however many months first? Get to know each other better? He knows their families would have preferred that, if their expressions every time they get together are any indication.

They both realize that they've essentially cheated their parents out of a real wedding for them, but at the time, in that moment, they couldn't wait that long. It was spur of the moment, spontaneous, and though their friends and families are all most likely thinking that their marriage won't last, they're determined to prove them wrong.

It won't be easy, and it'll be far from perfect, but hopefully it'll be perfect enough for them.

He knows he loves Bella, and he's pretty sure that she loves him. But he's seen the toll a soldier going overseas can take on families, even ones that have decades behind them. It's not an easy life to live by any stretch of the imagination, and while he has his doubts about how long she'll stay, he just has to keep that night in which they met in mind, and believe that they'll make it.

He can have faith. For the next six months, it'll be all that he has.

"I'll miss you," he hears from the bed. He knows she's cross-legged on their bed, her over-sized sweater hanging off one shoulder, and her hair piled up on her head, undoubtedly with a few tendrils framing her face. Turning around, he watches as she fights to hold back tears, and then he's fighting to hold back his own.

He stops what he's been doing and goes to sit next to her, pulling her into a fierce, amorous hug. The tears can't be stopped, then. They trickle down silently, the atmosphere of the room morose, getting it out of their systems, if only for the time being.

"I'll miss you, too. So much," Edward says into her hair. And then, "I love you."

"I love you, too. Come back to me, okay?"

"Bet on it."

* * *

_I'm doing this challenge to help me keep the creative juices flowing with my other stories, and one that's in the works. The thing that's the bigger challenge, though, is limiting myself to 500 words. This is one TT25 that I actually plan on finishing. I did it once, so let's see if I can do it again. ;)_

_Enjoy._


	2. Road Trip

_I figured you all deserve something light after I hit you with the relatively dark yesterday. ;)_

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**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
thetwilight25 dot com

**Prompt: **#11  
**Pen Name: **SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s): **No pairings; Alice/Rosalie/Bella  
**Rating: **T  
**Word Count: **431

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

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"WooHoo!"

The two girls sitting in the front seats laughed as their other best friend stuck her head out of the window like a dog, feeling the wind on her face, made more powerful by the speeding of the car.

They were in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the middle of Kansas, or Oklahoma, if they had to guess, but they didn't want to. Guess, that is. It was just enough to know that they were relatively halfway to their final destination, and if they keep doing what they've been doing, they should be able to make it to their next rest stop before nightfall.

The three girls made a plan during their senior year to take a road trip somewhere fun before they went off in separate directions for college: Bella to New York, Rose to Florida, and petite, little Alice to California. It would be a sad day when they all had to say goodbye to each other until they could meet up again, so this road trip is going to be a last hurrah kind of thing. They were going down south to New Orleans because, for one thing, it was the only place that they could agree on without arguing.

For another, each girl wanted to experience the city for different reasons, but all three agreed that everyone should experience Bourbon Street at night at least once.

"Guys! Stick your heads out the window with me!" Alice trilled, laughing.

"I can't," Rosalie protested, adding, "I'm driving, in case you've forgotten."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It's an open road. We haven't seen another car for _miles_. Bella! You're not doing anything! Come on!"

"I'm in charge of the map, Ali," Bella laughed, though it was a lie. While she is in charge of the map, at the moment she was busy taking photos on her phone and uploading them to Instagram.

"Ugh. You guys are no fun," Alice pouts as she brings her head inside. "Why have the windows all the way down if you can't stick your head out and enjoy the breeze. It's freeing. Killjoys."

Both Rose and Bella exchanged smiles, shoulders shaking with the effort it took to hold back their laughing. Then they rolled their eyes at how melodramatic their friend is being, but decide to give in, if only for a short minute.

"All right, Ali. Let's do this," Bella says, determined.

"Yes! You're the best, B."

"Of course, I am," Bella laughs.

_This is the best road trip, ever, _each girl thinks, all three silently adding, _I'll miss these girls._


	3. Backseat Spooning

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt:** #1  
**Pen Name:** SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s):** Edward/Bella  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 364

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

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We're cuddled up as closely as possible in the backseat of my car. It's times like this that I wish I had a bigger one, with a backseat that has more leg room. Or just more room in general.

But I never complain, and neither do you, because snuggling this close to you is all I ever want to do, if I were to only do one thing for the rest of my life.

We hardly get any alone time, what with our friends always stealing our attention, and our parents being a tad bit overbearing now that senior year has begun and it's that time to start thinking about college. We have fathers that expect us to go to universities of their choosing, their alma maters, and both schools are on opposite ends of the country.

While doing the long-distance thing doesn't scare us quite as much as our friends try to make it seem, we both know that we couldn't survive not seeing each other for months at a time. So, we're not going to be one of _those _couples that apply to the same schools and hope we're both accepted so we can go together; we're just applying to the schools we each _want _to go to, just in the same state, or close by somewhere.

We're being realistic about this. Our parents would be proud, but our fathers will be disappointed that we're not following in their footsteps. We've decided our own paths to take, each wanting the other to be just as successful. We'll have to break the news to our fathers some time… but that can wait.

This is the first time in a couple of weeks that I've held you in my arms, and all this real-world talk that's being thrust upon us on a constant, daily basis, is exhausting. So exhausting that it's difficult for me to turn off my brain for an hour, or even five minutes, but the longer I hold you, the more I can feel myself start to relax, and soon, my breaths are matching up to yours, and the next thing I know…

...the rest of the world drops off.

* * *

_Today seems to be pretty damn good for writing, so I'm rolling with it._

_Enjoy._


	4. Photographs

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt:** #2  
**Pen Name:** SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s):** Esme/Carlisle  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 476

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

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She sits to the side of her dying husband. In the past couple of days, his health had taken a turn for the worst. Knowing what's coming next, she walked into their closet to grab the shoe box that she's kept all of their mementos from over the years.

As she'd settled propped up against pillows at the head of the bed, next to her husband, she dumped out the contents of the shoe box and spread the photos out, looking for a particular one to start, snatching it up the second she finds it.

"Remember this trip, Carlisle?" she whispers, staring at a young couple standing at the base of the Eiffel Tower, their arms wrapped around one another and smiles as big as the wonder behind them. It was June 1946, and they'd just gotten married, and he'd surprised her with a honeymoon in Paris. They'd bothered an elderly couple to snap a photograph of them before moving along.

Esme picked up the next photo, one she'd sneaked of her husband's profile on one of their many excursions to the beach. She holds the picture in front of his face for him, but when she looks over at him she sees that his eyes are closed. The threat of tears hasn't gone away, so when they start to trickle down, she lets them.

"You were so pensive that day," she whispers, staring at how he's standing, how his hands are braced on the railing, looking out into the distance at something that she didn't understand. "You never did tell me what had you so contemplative, dear," she murmurs. But it doesn't matter. Not anymore.

She continues like that for the next couple of hours, going through photograph after photograph, showing them all to her husband, but then describing what she was looking at. At this stage in his cancer, he was too far gone to be coherent, but she didn't let that stop her. Doing this, looking at all the documented trips they'd taken over the years up until he was diagnosed, it was cathartic. These photos were helping her become at peace with what was happening.

When Carlisle's breathed turned ragged, and his breaths came faster, she knew this was it. She drops the photograph that she'd been currently holding - it was a family photo, husband and wife at the beach with their two boys - and grabs his clammy hand, intertwining their fingers together, and the tears started up again in earnest.

She brings their hands up to her mouth, kisses the back of his, whispers a final, "I love you," and then, as if he heard what he needed to hear, he breathed his last breath, while his widow mourned her immortal beloved.

And one hour later, after looking at one last photo, went to join him in the afterlife.

* * *

_So, yeah. Another sad one. This is what came to mind when I saw the prompt._

_Enjoy._


	5. Roller Skates

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
thetwilight25 dot com

**Prompt:** #17  
**Pen Name:** SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s):** Edward/Bella, Alice  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 459 (FFn is trying to claim larger.)

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"I can't do this. I can't… I don't need this skill!"

"Bella, come on. Everyone should experience a roller rink at least once in her lifetime."

"Okay, but Alice… can't I just experience this stupid place from the sidelines? You know how clumsy I am."

Suddenly, Bella can feel someone walking up behind her, and she turns around slowly. It's the cute boy from behind the rental counter, and he's smiling at her like… she doesn't know what. But his smile is directed at her, and it's making her feel all warm inside despite the air conditioning inside the building.

His eyes flick behind her to Bella's best friend, back and forth.

"Alice, is it?" His voice is low, deep, smooth like honey already for someone who can't be any older than 17, 18. The short, raven-haired girl nods once, eyebrows raised in surprise, lips twitching, fighting a grin. The boy continues, "I couldn't but overhear your conversation," he admits, his cheeks coloring just a bit. "I think I know just what your friend needs to get over her fear."

Bella scoffs, willing her cheeks to refrain from blushing, to no avail.

"Fear? I'm not _scared_. I just… never mind." She turns to Alice. "Can we just go home? Please?"

Alice shakes her head, but before she can say anything, the boy speaks up.

"I promise, I won't let you fall…" he trails off, hoping she'll get the hint and give him her name. She does get the hint, but it's her friend, Alice, who blurts it.

"Bella. Her name is Bella." The girl in question spins around so fast to hiss at her friend, that she forgets she's on roller skates and her arms and legs are flailing, trying to find something to grab onto to prevent herself from falling. The boy's quick to rush forward and wrap his arms around her waist. She grabs his arms wrapped securely around her, and when she's stable, she's feels at war with herself. Part of her wants to let him go so she can stand on her own, but the other, much larger part wants to wrap his arms tighter around her.

_This is absurd, _she chastises herself silently, _I don't even know his name!_

After making sure she's able to stand without falling, he lets her go reluctantly, and she turns around - as slowly as possible - to look at him again. "What's your name?" she asks.

"Edward," the boy answers. Then, "So, how 'bout it? Can I take you around the rink?"

"Well…" Bella wavers, biting the corner of her bottom lip. Then she smiles and, with a nod, says, "I'd like that. After all," she adds, "You did just save me from a world of embarrassment."

* * *

_Fluffy piece. Funny piece. Kind of. Mostly fluffy._

_Enjoy._


	6. Shadow Puppets

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
thetwilight25 dot com

**Prompt:** #20  
**Pen Name:** SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s):** Edward, child  
**Rating:** K+  
**Word Count:** 451 (FFn is trying to say it's more, again.)

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

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"Daddy, shh!" The little girl giggles. "Mommy's sleeping."

I roll my eyes playfully, but then school my features so that I look appropriately chastised by a four-year-old as I can. She's got a little finger pressed to her lips in the universal shushing sign.

"Oops," I say. This, I actually mean, because while it's not smart of me to wake my daughter up past the time she went to bed, with my long shifts at the hospital, and then her being in daycare while I sleep the morning away, this is the only time that I get to spend with her.

It's our Daddy-daughter time, and the wife may be pissed if and when she finds out, but I like to think that she'd understand. This is the only chance for me to catch up on what I miss during the day.

I turn on the flashlight underneath the bed sheet that's over our heads, and immediately she tries to make a shadow puppet. I think she's going for a dog. Maybe. I decide to teach her something simpler.

"Here, baby," I grab her tiny hands in mine and maneuver them into position so it looks like she's made a bird, or a butterfly, however you want to look at it. "There. It's a bird!" I whisper.

She flaps her fingers as best as she can, trying to make it seem like it's flying, and she says, "Look, Daddy! I doing it!"

This time it's my turn to shush her, and she repeats my "oops" with one of her own, clapping both hands adorably over her mouth, muffling her giggles.

We sit there on her bed for a little while longer, making shadow puppets, and me teaching her some of the more complicated ones that my own dad taught me. Eventually, she starts yawning, mouth wide, and her eyes are drooping in her exhaustion. A pang of guilt cuts through me for keeping her awake this long and decide to put an end to the fun.

"All right, munchkin, time for bed," I tell her, "again."

She rubs her little fists in her eyes, trying to wake herself up, and if I didn't feel so guilty for waking her up in the first place, I'd find this adorably funny. As it is, I manage a small smile.

"Not tired," she pouts.

"Of course not," I chuckle. "Come on. We don't want to get in trouble with Mommy."

I flip the sheet off of us and make to get off her bed so she can lay down and I can tuck her back in, when I see a familiar figure standing in the the doorway to our daughter's room, arms crossed.

_Oops._


	7. Walk in the Woods - EG

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
thetwilight25 dot com

**Prompt:** #7  
**Pen Name: **SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s): **Edward/Garrett  
**Rating: **T  
**Word Count: **367

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

There's a rustling in the bushes.

The fog is thick, visibility low, so it makes sense that I'd feel a little paranoid, because this scenery is like something out of a horror movie.

"Who's there?"

More rustling, and a twig snaps.

"Hello?"

Just when I'm about to make a run for it, another twig snaps, more bushes are rustled, and then I hear a, "Ouch. _Shit_," and I laugh, knowing now that everything's okay.

I stand there patiently, waiting for my boyfriend to fight his way out of the woods. Now that I realize who's been following me, there's no mistaking his sandy-brown hair gelled to within an inch of its life. He's so into his looks, I always tease him that there's a world outside of the mirror.

He always responds the same way: a roll of his eyes, chuckling, and then a romp in the sack.

It's his way of proving that he didn't forget about me, he says, that he can't.

I don't complain.

When he's within earshot, my smile grows bigger as I continue to wait for him to catch up.

"Hey," I call out. He startles a bit before remembering why he's even out here in the first place, and then he's smiling, too, sauntering his way over towards me with a confident swagger in his gait. I roll my eyes and laugh. _Such a cocky little shit_, I think wryly, unable to keep my smile from turning into a smirk.

"Hey back," he responds as soon as he's standing right in front of me, his index fingers tugging on my belt loops, pulling me closer. "You okay?"

And just like that, I'm reminded why I was walking alone on this beaten path in the woods, and my mood sours all over again. I shake my head, unable to say the words, but he gets it, anyway, and tugs me closer to him some more, and I wrap my arms around his neck in a hug at the same time his own wrap around my waist, his hands rubbing up and down my back.

I'm not okay. Not really.

But with him by my side, willingly offering his comfort… I will be.

* * *

_I've got some more slash pairings up my sleeve. If they're not your thing, feel free to skip them. I'll indicate which prompts have a slash pairing in the chapter title._

_Enjoy._


	8. Record Store

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
thetwilight25 dot com

**Prompt:** #14  
**Pen Name:** SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s):** Edward  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 379

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

This day is finally here.

My dream has become reality.

When I was a kid, I didn't think I'd ever own a secondhand record store, but here I am. After years of putting all I have into this place, all of the blood, sweat and tears, everything's come to fruition. I didn't get to have this dream until my dad passed away ten years ago, and Mom and I were going through his belongings in his study, only to come across some old 45's.

Elvis, Al Green, Fats Domino… some Frankie Avalon, John Denver…

There were so many records that I didn't even know he had, something from every genre, and as we were going through them, I started envisioning opening a record store just like this that bought and sold whatever records people didn't want anymore, or replace what they thought was lost forever.

It took a bit for my mom to get onboard with the idea I had been forming, because she wanted so badly for me to continue my education and become that high-profile lawyer we all thought I'd be. But she did, and she couldn't any more proud.

The more I started making plans, the more that _this _sounded more like what I was meant to do with my life. Music has always been my passion, and I think that maybe I got it from Dad, for which I'm ever grateful, so maybe that plays a part in why making the choice to drop out of Harvard with only a year left wasn't as difficult a decision as I thought it'd be.

Plus, by opening this store, this is me keeping my dad's memory alive. I wanted to make sure that I'd never forget anything about him, at least, the important stuff. Like his belongings and what he was most passionate about (his work, his family, and music).

So, standing in the middle of my brand new store, I breathe in the smell of the records, organized somewhat haphazardly and somewhat alphabetically - the bins are alphabetical, but the records in those bins are not.

Checking my watch, it's just about time to open the doors for the very first time.

So, I walk over, flip the sign, head back behind the counter…

And wait.

* * *

_This is a lot harder than I thought it'd be. But I'm trudging along._

_Enjoy._


	9. Cocktails

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
thetwilight25 dot com

**Prompt:** #8  
**Pen Name:** SarahSmile26  
**Pairing/Character(s):** Edward/Jasper  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 500

**Photo prompts can be found here:**  
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

It's hot, and I'm sweating.

Making the decision to come out tonight after such a shit day is probably the best one I've made all day. Hell, it's the best decision I've made all _year_.

Being on this dance floor, letting the beat of the music flow through me, it's the best feeling. The second I started to sweat, I whipped off my shirt and tucked it into the waistband of my jeans. My arms are above my head, eyes closed, and I'm swaying to the beat among a sea of men. Every now and then I feel one sidle up behind me with his hands on my hips, and we dance together for a song or two before breaking apart and he moves along.

I didn't come out tonight to look for someone to take home later. I just needed to clear my head and dancing has always been able to do that for me. It's a wonder why I never chose to pursue that avenue, but if I'm being honest, I'm really not that great. I just sway and let the music move me however it wants, and a lot of times, it's not attractive to watch.

Feeling thirsty now, I decide to take a break and head downstairs to the bar for a gin and tonic. When I get closer to the counter, I see that it's become swamped in the time I spent upstairs dancing, not a care in the world. I push my way to the front, pissing off many customers, I'm sure, and try to get the bartender's attention.

When I finally catch his eye, I forget what I was here for. Straight jaw line covered in the beginnings of a beard, eyes the color of a jade stone, hair that's a mix of blonde and brown. I can't tell which color is supposed to be the highlight, if any. His nose is long and not quite straight, but close enough; there's a bump in the bridge that's barely noticeable unless you're staring at his profile, which I did before his head turned towards me.

Then there are his lips. His top lip is thinner than the bottom, and already I'm imagining everything I could possibly do to get him to leave here with me. And then I remember that he's working, and he probably won't be finished until late.

"Hey," I hear someone say, and mentally shake my head to bring myself back into the present. I'm face-to-face with the attractive bartender. "What can I get you?" he smirks.

I like his smirk. I like that it's aimed at me.

"Gin and tonic." I smirk back. "Please," I add, because I was raised with manners.

"Coming…" he pauses, then with a wink, he finishes, "...right up."

When my drink is in my hand, I decide to make another decision and ask for his name.

"My friends call me Jay, but when I get off work, you'll be shouting Jasper."

_Jesus Christ_, that's hot.

* * *

_It's taking a lot longer to plow through these prompts, so bear with me. I don't want to force a scenario when I'm not feeling it._

_Also, start thinking about which prompts you'd like me to expand upon, and tell me once I finish all 25 of these babies. I've got a few plot bunnies hopping around my head..._

_Enjoy._


End file.
